Federica Pellegrini of Italy set a new meet record in winning the women’s 200m freestyle at the European Swimming Championships on Saturday.
Pellegrini won in one minute, 55.45 seconds, more than two seconds off her world record set last year but 1.08 seconds faster than the meet best she set on Friday.
For the Italian’s second medal of the meet after an 800 free bronze, she was 1.53 seconds ahead of Silke Lippok of Germany.
Hungary’s Agnes Mutina was third.
Pellegrini was just third after the first lap, moved up to second behind Lippok at the halfway point and took gold by swimming the last lap more than 2 seconds quicker than her German rival.
Pellegrini, the world and Olympic champ in the event, has also won it three times in European short-course championships.
Lotte Friis of Denmark led from start to finish in the women’s 1,500 freestyle, touching in 15:59.13. Grainne Murphy of Ireland was 3.16 seconds behind. Erika Villaecija of Spain finished third.
“I was still tired from the 800,” said Friis, who won the 800 freestyle on Thursday and was back in the pool the next day for the qualifying heats of the 1,500.
“I think it is stupid to schedule these long distance events without a one-day break. Today, I knew I would be able to win, but thought it would be closer,” Friis said.
Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus won the gold medal in the women’s 50 backstroke, breaking her own meet record set on Friday of 27.98 seconds.
Herasimenia’s time of 27.64 was 0.35 seconds better than Daniela Samulski’s of Romania. Spaniard Mercedes Peris was third, a mere 0.02 seconds behind the Romanian.
“This is a great day for me. I won this gold medal and can’t yet believe it,” said Herasimenia, a native of Minsk and a silver medalist in the 100 freestyle on Wednesday. “You can only swim your own race in the 50m and not look over to the others.”
Samulski was satisfied with her time of 27.99 and second place.
“I desperately wanted to swim under 28 seconds and that’s what I achieved,” Samulski said. “That’s my best time in a textile swim suit.”
The 30th edition of the European championships ending yesterday was the first major international event where competitors could no longer wear the neck-to-ankle outfits that helped set dozens of world records in recent years.
Evgeny Korotyshkin of Russia improved on the meet record he shared with Ukraine’s Andriy Serdinov by winning the men’s 100 butterfly in 51.73 seconds. Joeri Verlinden of the Netherlands was 0.09 seconds off the pace. Konrad Czerniak of Poland was third.
The men’s 200 backstroke went to Stanislav Donets of Russia, who swam 1:57.18 and only just managed to ward off a late rally from Markus Rogan of Austria.
Rogan was eighth — and last — during the first two laps, climbed to third after 150 meters and finished just 0.13 seconds behind the winner. Benjamin Stasiulis was third, 0.06 seconds slower than Markus.
“I had a strenuous program here with the three backstroke competitions and am quite tired now,” said Donets, who won silver in the 100 backstroke on Tuesday. “I am very pleased that it was enough to win the title.”
Rogan, who was also second in the 200 individual medley on Tuesday behind Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh, said the race was so close he could easily have finished fourth.
“I am not at all disappointed even though I didn’t manage to win the title,” Rogan said.
Fabio Scozzoli won the men’s 50 breaststroke in 27.38 seconds, 0.09 seconds in front of Dragos Agache of Romania. Lennart Stekelenburg of the Netherlands was third, 0.13 seconds in back of Scozzoli.
“This morning I woke up at 5:30 and thought what would happen if I win today — now I’m experiencing it,” said Scozzoli, who added gold to his silver in the 100 breaststroke.
The Russian team anchored by Alexander Sukhorukov won the men’s 4x200 freestyle relay in a new meet best of 7:06.71. Germany and France were next.
In diving, the German duo of Sascha Klein and Patrick Hausding scored 478.11 points to win the men’s 10m platform synchronized event. Russia was second and Belarus third.
Nadezda Bazhina of Russia won the women’s 3m springboard contest with 324.10 points, ahead of teammate Anastasia Pozdnyakova who finished with 316.40. Hungarian Nora Barta was third.
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